Fire on the Water: walkthrough
The goal in Fire on the Water is to retrieve the Sommerswerd. Walkthrough criteria The gamebook can be completed in many different ways. This walkthrough is compiled according to the following criteria, in order of importance: # assume that this is the first gamebook played, except for some items; # collect and use as many items as possible; # avoid combat as much as possible, especially the strongest enemies; # see as many illustrations as possible. Getting started Suggested disciplines # Animal Kinship - potentially vital to allow you to meet the Noodnics (depends on which edition of the book you are playing) # Mindshield # Sixth Sense, Hunting, and Curing are all useful during this adventure. If your combat skill is low, Mindblast can be a more reliable boost than Weaponskill. It is possible to finish this adventure with only Animal Kinship, if the revised Project Aon editions are used. If you do not have Animal Kinship using those editions, you are forced into a very difficult combat. Starting equipment At the beginning of the adventure, you are given the Seal of Hammerdal, then you can choose two of the items below, in other words one weapon and one more item. Choose any one weapon: * Sword * Short Sword * Mace * Quarterstaff * Spear * Broadsword Of the following items, choose the Shield; any other item will be lost early in the book: * Shield (special item). * Chainmail Waistcoat (special item). * Healing Potion (backpack item). * Food (backpack item) Note that you will lose all weapons, backpack items, and the chainmail waistcoat early in the adventure. Useful items from previous gamebooks * Any backpack item or weapon from Book 1 will be lost early in this adventure. * Crystal Star Pendant (special item): after the shipwreck, if you don't call help from the fishermen and then decide to walk west along the coast, there is a chance that a snake bites you, and this item will be necessary to cut the wound and suck out the venom; also, later in the adventure it allows you to identify a powerful enemy. * Gold Crowns - money is a concern in reaching Port Bax. The maximum that you could carry over to this adventure is approximately 36 Gold Crowns, if using the optimal path to completing the previous adventure and not getting robbed by the fishermen. Item walkthrough Onboard the "Green Sceptre" (1) Fight the harbor thugs to the death, and you'll get a clue that will allow you to identify an enemy later. (300) Five different things can happen, and there is a 30% chance to be involved in fights against pirates and Drakkarim. (240) When you smell smoke, don't enter the hold. Later, if you want to search the Captain's cabin, don't try to pry open the lock, unless you have the discipline of Mind over Matter. (175) There's a 50% chance to skip this part, but you can be invited for dinner with either the Captain or the crew. In both cases, you can play with them; if you play against the Captain, the discipline of Sixth Sense will help you win. (197) A storm mounts, and there is an unavoidable 10% chance of instant death. If you survive, the ship sinks and you lose the Chainmail Waistcoat, if you own one. The town of Ragadorn West Ragadorn (141) Ignore the boat and paddle towards the shore, or you will also lose the backpack itself and the shield. (337) When you land, eat the fruit you find on the trees, and you can also get two meals in the backpack. The discipline of Hunting tells you that this fruit is Larnuma. Head east (there's a viper to the west) and rest for the night. (312) The next morning, get on the wagon and pay to stay on the roof, for the lift to Ragadorn. (148) In Ragadorn, the fastest and safest route is to head straight east, stopping at a shop to purchase a cheap weapon. You can also purchase a sleeping fur, but it is useless. * If you take the North street, you will be unable to buy a weapon. * If you take the South street, three men will start following you and you'd better run, since you're unarmed. (186) You are now in front of the coach station: see below, The Wildlands. East Ragadorn (141) If you are rescued by the fishermen, they will rob you of your backpack (not just the items), all your gold and all your special items, including the Seal of Hammerdal and the Shield. (194) First of all, search the fishing boat to find some gold, a weapon and a clue: a label with the address of a tavern, therefore head straight in that direction. (4) In the tavern, confront the fishermen straight away, or you'll lose the Seal for good. Chase them to get a few more gold, another weapon and the Seal of Hammerdal. If you lose it, you won't be able to reach the Sommerlund embassy in Port Bax and your mission will fail. (24/253) Don't use the discipline of Tracking if you want to get a new backpack. You can study the tomb in the square, then walk back west and south, catch the thief in the shop and get a reward. Choose a new backpack and 2 meals. Continue along the street, stop at the weaponsmith, and sell off one of your new weapons to increase your gold supplies for the gambling game (don't buy any weapons, not even if it gives you a Weaponskill bonus!), and then you'll get to the coach station. The Wildlands (136) It's possible that you don't have enough money to purchase a ticket (if you were robbed by the fishermen you definitely won't have enough). You need at least 22 Gold Crowns to get to Durenor safely. In the gaming house across the road it's easy to win: applying some statistical mathematics, the average result is to win 0.8 Gold Crowns per round. If you lose all your gold crowns, y''ou won't be able to get to Durenor. Once you have at least 22 Gold Crowns, buy a '''ticket' to Port Bax. (10) During the first part of the journey, if you have a ticket, there is a 40% chance to stop at a shrine where you can get one meal of Laumspur. Otherwise, you'll meet people demanding the payment of 1 GC for a toll. (39) At dusk, the coach stops at an inn. Use the ticket to show that you paid the fare, then pay 1 GC for a room, or you won't see next sunrise. The next day, the coachman dies in an accident; use the discipline of Sixth Sense to learn more about it. (168) When you get to the village of Gorn, don't worry if you have no money, because one of your fellow travellers will eventually help you out. (314) Once in your room, the discipline of Hunting will warn you not to eat the food you're offered. Get downstairs to find out who tried to poison you, and remember the clue from the harbor thugs (section 268 and subsequent). (33) Escape from the guards by the rear door. The fastest way to solve the situation is to take a horse and leave the village. The discipline of Camouflage will give you an extra option: hide in the hay-wain and visit the weaponsmith, which lets you purchase a Broadsword for 12 Gold Crowns. Afterwards, take a horse and flee. (150) When you reach the fork the right path is the safest route if you have Animal Kinship. Get to the tower and use the Seal of Hammerdal to gain help from the knight: he'll give you some items, including a lesser potion of Laumspur and the password "sunset" to be told at the border bridge to Durenor. * If you don't have Animal Kinship, you must take the left path instead. Scatter the Szalls and help the wounded man, but don't search his pack. The man is actually a powerful (CS 22, EP 30) undead Helghast, and you need the Magic Spear you just took from its body and the discipline of Mindshield to fight it. This fight is to the death. (232/307) At the bridge, use either the Seal of Hammerdal or the password to gain access to the kingdom of Durenor. The kingdom of Durenor (265) There are no big dangers in the town of Port Bax. You should use the Seal of Hammerdal to get a Red pass. You can also spend a good bit of money to get a useless white pass or some dangerously false documents. Once you have the Red pass, you can get to the consulate of Sommerlund, where you can meet the Lord-Lieutenant Rhygar. (31) On the way to Hammerdal, the capital city of Durenor, you'll be attacked by a group of undead Helghasts. It's a battle that cannot be won, so run away. There is small possibility of an instant death outcome here if you have Sixth Sense. (299) At the entrance of the tunnel, if you have Animal Kinship you can give the Magic Spear to Rhygar, if you have it. Only without such weapon you'll be able to meet the Noodnics and gain their help to avoid more Helghasts. Note that Rhygar will die no matter if you give him the Magic Spear. * If you don't have Animal Kinship, keep and use the Magic Spear to quickly dispatch any Helghast you'll meet (you won't fight the Helghasts in regular combat here). (349) Don't attack the Durenese soldiers: they're on your side, and they'll escort you to meet the king of Durenor. The Sommerswerd (9) Lord Axim of Ryme escorts you to meet King Alin IV of Durenor. There, give the Seal of Hammerdal to the king, and he will give you the fabled Sommerswerd. Whether you have Sixth Sense or not, you'll learn all the properties of this magical blade. Also, Madin Rendalim will restore your health fully and give you a potent potion of Laumspur. (152) After two weeks, the Durenese fleet is ready to sail, but the voyage is full of bad omens. (100) The Durenese fleet is attacked by a fleet of zombie ships! Jump onto the deck of the enemy flagship, use Sixth Sense to avoid being attacked while you're climbing out of the hold, then use the Crystal Star Pendant to identify Vonotar the traitor. Attack him to avoid any further combat. See also How to meet Vonotar in Fire on the Water. The battle is almost over now, and it soon concludes with the victory of the Durenese fleet. (225) When you get to the harbor of Holmgard at night, despair changes to cheer, and at sunrise the power of the Sommerswerd lays waste to the Darklord Zagarna. Congratulations, your mission is successfully completed! Appendices Item list Starting items: * Seal of Hammerdal * Map of the Lastlands * Shield * Healing potion (lost early) * Chainmail waistcoat (lost early) Items found onboard the Green Sceptre: * (none) Items found in the town of Ragadorn: * Ticket to Port Bax * Fur blanket (useless) * Blanket (useless) * Rope (useless) * Gold ring (useless) * Potion of orange liquid (you cannot take it if you have lost your backpack in the storm) Items found in the Wildlands: * Meal of Laumspur * password “sunset” * Lesser healing potion * Magic Spear Items found in the kingdom of Durenor: * Red pass * White pass (useless) * False documents (dangerous!) Items found in the city of Hammerdal: * Sommerswerd, the Sun-sword * Potent laumspur potion Useful items in later books * Sommerswerd * Shield Enemy roster Illustrations list Part 1: onboard the Green Sceptre * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill16.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill19.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill13.htm Part 2: the town of Ragadorn * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill3.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill14.htm Part 3: the Wildlands * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill15.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill18.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill12.htm Part 4: the kingdom of Durenor * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill11.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill4.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill7.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill9.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill8.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill17.htm Part 5: the Sommerswerd * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill1.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill5.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill6.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill10.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill2.htm * http://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/02fotw/ill20.htm Category:Walkthrough